Saturday, August 8, 2 – 5 pm

Churchill Field, 1825 N. Damen

Project Onward invites you and your best friend to the dog-friendly area of Churchill Field, where we will dedicate our public art project for The 606 and celebrate with free pet portraits! Bring your pup for a live portrait sitting, or bring a photo, and a Project Onward artist will create a one-of-a-kind work of art. Portraits take about half an hour and are a wonderful way to honor your four-legged friend, all while getting to know an amazing artist and supporting a worthy cause. Availability is limited, so make your online reservation here!

Pay Attention is a mural project featuring the work of Project Onward artist Louis DeMarco and installed in the dog-friendly area of Churchill Field. With generous support from the Trust for Public Land, the murals were created as a temporary artwork installation for The 606 and will remain on view until June 2016.

Saturday, August 1, 11 am – 3 pm

Come on out to Coyle & Herr for our monthly Portrait Salon! Schedule a live portrait sitting with a loved one, a friend, or a pet, or bring us a photograph to work from. Portraits take about half an hour and are a wonderful way to obtain cool, affordable art; get to know an amazing artist; and support Project Onward in its mission to provide career development opportunities to artists with disabilities. And it all happens at one of Chicago’s coolest spots, the consignment wonderland of Coyle & Herr! Browse their amazing selection of items for the home (including Project Onward artwork), and get a complimentary slice of pie, courtesy of our friends at Bang Bang Pie Shop.

New this month! For the first time, we are offering online reservations, so click here to make your appointment! Walk-in’s are welcome but reservations are encouraged.

Friday, July 17, 6 – 10 pm

Join us this Third Friday for an Opening Reception for two new Gallery shows! “The Rookies” is our annual showcase of artwork by new and emerging Project Onward artists. From Janno Juguilon’s amazing paper models of Disney castles, to Kareem Davis’ precise mechanical drawings, to the masterful paintings of David Hence, “The Rookies” unleashes a host of distinctive voices, new directions, and promising futures. On view in the Main Gallery through September 12.

“Old School” features the work of veteran Project Onward artists Michael Smith, Elizabeth Barren, and Michael Hopkins. One of Project Onward’s founding members, Michael Smith has created haunting figurative drawings in colored pencil and pastel for over a decade. Elizabeth Barren parlays her obsession with fashion design to create one-of-kind mixed-media portraits. Michael Hopkins specializes in whimsical but reverent portraits of jazz and blues legends. On view in the Spotlight Gallery through September 12.

Plus, our Summer Sale continues with great bargains on original art and 20% off our inventory of awesome We Are Lions gear: T-shirts, throw pillows, even shower curtains! But supplies are limited, so don’t dawdle!

Finally, we’ll be drawing the winner of our Lollapalooza raffle during our Third Friday reception! There’s still time to get your tickets: hit us up at (773) 940-2992 or info@projectonward.org….

Project Onward Executive Director Rob Lentz and board member Wanda Lenoir joined artists David Holt and Blake Lenoir at the WGN Radio studio for a chat with the legendary Dave Hoekstra. The segment was featured on the July 11 broadcast of Dave’s weekly show, the Nocturnal Journal. Our conversation covered a range of topics, including our upcoming Third Friday reception, David’s amazing memorial portraits, Blake’s sublime scenes of nature, and the term “outsider artist.”

Blake had this to say about being an outsider artist: “You’re from another world, and you’re just a traveler trying to go places like you’ve never been before. It’s like going around the world without leaving home, without setting one foot outside your doorstep. And you could even dream about it, and sleep about it and you could even walk around all day thinking about it and feeling it in your heart.”

And we’ll be hawking our fabulous line of We Are Lions merchandise: T-shirts, throw pillows, even the amazing Cloud Chart shower curtain! What??

Come see what all the fuss is about, Saturday & Sunday, 10 am – 5 pm.

Churchill Park, 1825 N. Damen

Project Onward is proud to present Pay Attention, a public art project commissioned for The 606 by the Trust for Public Land. Located at Churchill Park in Chicago, Pay Attention features three hand-painted murals based on the work of Project Onward artist Louis DeMarco. DeMarco is an artist with autism, whose charts and text-based drawings are visual strategies meant to describe and cope with the anxieties, obsessions, and distractions that sometimes overwhelm him. The trio of panels (“Cloud Chart,” “Halo Chart,” and “Pay Attention”) reminds us all to look closely, think carefully, and do the right thing.

Pay Attention is presented in conjunction with ADA 25 Chicago. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) protects the rights of people with disabilities — on the street, in public places and at work. As we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the ADA, now is the time to recognize that having a disability is a natural part of the human experience. ADA 25 Chicago will commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 2015 and leverage this civil rights milestone to make the Chicago region the most inclusive in the nation.

A mural is born….

Project Onward artists Louis DeMarco, Fernando Ramirez, Bill Douglas, and Pedro Basantes painted the mural panels for The 606 in our studio in May, 2015, using Louis’ drawings as inspiration for the site-specific public art project.

Friday, June 19, 6 – 9 pm

It’s your second chance for a first look at the cat-tastic exhibition Must Love Cats, featuring Ruby Bradford and friends. Best known for her depictions of Superman and Prince Charles, Ms. Bradford has recently devoted much of her creative output to pictures of cats, including Streaky the Super Cat, Ghost Kitty, and the Internet sensation Grumpy Cat, with whom she shares a natural affinity. Inspired by her successful art career, and by the theme of cat art, Ms. Bradford’s fellow Project Onward artists have contributed their own works of feline creativity–including Sereno “Glitterman” Wilson’s sparkly Cheshire Cat (below), Sheila Davis’ psychedelic cat canvas (shown above) and Aron Washington’s home-made Cat Condominium.

And while you’re here, get in on our Huge Summer Studio Sale! It’s time to clean house, so we’re hauling out our surplus art supplies, unused easels, books, and back-room hoardings–some really neat stuff but it has to go! We’ll also have great deals on artwork inventory from your favorite artists. Friday and Saturday only!!

Artist Ruby Bradford has announced her retirement from Project Onward, and we are marking the occasion this Third Friday with the feline-themed exhibition “Must Love Cats.” Best known for her depictions of Superman and Prince Charles, Ms. Bradford has recently devoted much of her creative output to pictures of cats, including Streaky the Super Cat, Ghost Kitty, and the Internet sensation Grumpy Cat, with whom she shares a natural affinity. Inspired by her successful art career, and by the theme of cat art, Ms. Bradford’s fellow Project Onward artists have contributed their own works of feline creativity–including Sereno “Glitterman” Wilson’s sparkly Cheshire Cat, Bill Douglas’ Egyptian sculpture, and even a home-made Cat Condominium. Ruby Bradford will donate a portion of artwork sales to her favorite charity, Tree House–a cageless, no kill humane organization specializing in the rescue and rehabilitation of sick and injured stray cats. And show your cat pride with We Are Lions T shirts and throw pillows featuring George Zuniga’s famous “Windy City Pussy.”

Our most excellent friends at Le Colonial are hosting a special Project Onward portrait event on Sunday, May 10. It’s Mother’s Day, so plan something that’s a little different, a lot of fun–and makes a big difference. Project Onward portrait artists Adam Hines, Ricky Willis, George Zuniga, and David Holt will be ready to capture your likeness! Sit for a live session with one of these talented and entertaining artists, or bring a photo to work from. And to top it all off, we’ll have some of those snazzy new We Are Lions art pillows for your shopping pleasure! So turn the tables and spoil Mom for a change!